Your plan in four answers
Set for May 29, 2027, about 31 weeks out.
- Distances
- 10K, Half marathon, Marathon
- Terrain
- Flat
- Field
- About 7,400 registered runners across the marathon, half and 10K in 2025
- Taper starts
- May 11, 2027
Course
The Bayshore Marathon course
Starts on the Northwestern Michigan College campus in Traverse City and runs out and back up the Old Mission Peninsula along the shore of East Grand Traverse Bay, with water views and cherry orchards most of the way and a turnaround near mile 13. The route uses Birchwood Drive, East Shore Road, Center Road (M-37) and Bluff Road, and Bluff Road erosion has forced small course changes in recent years.
Read the full course notes
It is flat by any standard: the race describes a single rise, between miles 18 and 19. You finish with the final quarter mile on the stadium track. The half is point to point from Devil's Dive Road with a climb of about 225 feet early, and the 10K is a flat, partly shaded out-and-back along the bay.
- Terrain
- Flat
- Distances
- 10K, Half marathon, Marathon
- Field
- About 7,400 registered runners across the marathon, half and 10K in 2025
- Weather on race day
- Memorial Day weekend in Traverse City usually brings a cool start in the 40s or 50s °F and highs near 70 °F (the race lists averages of 45 °F and 69 °F). The open bay can mean a breeze in your face on one leg of the out-and-back, so tuck into a group when it does. Sun on the return can warm the last miles more than the start suggests, so drink early.
What to train for
A flat out-and-back is a pure pacing test: there is no terrain to hide behind, so practice locking onto goal pace for long stretches.
Build toward long runs with 10 to 14 miles at goal pace, on flat roads or paths so the effort feels familiar.
Add a weekly tempo of 4 to 6 miles to raise the pace you can hold. Save a little for the one rise at miles 18 to 19, then use the road you already ran on the way out to count down the miles to town.
Sample week
A sample Bayshore Marathon training week
A week from the middle of the build, about six weeks out. Your plan sets the real distances and paces from your own fitness and adjusts them every week as you train.
- Monday
- Rest, or 20 minutes of mobility
- Tuesday Key session
- Intervals: 5 × 1 mile at 5K to 10K effort, easy jog between
- Wednesday
- Easy run, 6–7 mi
- Thursday Key session
- Goal-pace run, 10 mi with 6 mi at race pace
- Friday
- Recovery run, 4 mi, or cross-train
- Saturday Key session
- Long run, 16–18 mi, the last 4 mi at race pace
- Sunday
- Easy run, 4 mi, then 6 relaxed strides
Your build to race day
Taper
Tapering for the Bayshore Marathon
Start the taper two to three weeks before race day. Cut your weekly volume by about a third, then by half in race week, and keep a few short efforts at race pace so your legs stay sharp. The course is flat, so pacing decides the day: rehearse your goal pace in short segments during race week. With the race on May 29, 2027, your taper starts around May 11, 2027.
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Build me a training plan for the Bayshore Marathon on May 29, 2027. I run [distance] a week, [days] days a week, easy pace [pace].
Bayshore Marathon training questions
How long should I train for the Bayshore Marathon?
Most runners give a marathon sixteen to twenty weeks of focused training on top of an existing base. The plan above counts back from your actual race date, so if you have less time than that it builds the best plan the remaining weeks allow rather than pretending you have longer.
Is the Bayshore Marathon course hilly?
Flat. Starts on the Northwestern Michigan College campus in Traverse City and runs out and back up the Old Mission Peninsula along the shore of East Grand Traverse Bay, with water views and cherry orchards most of the way and a turnaround near mile 13.
What is the weather usually like at the Bayshore Marathon?
Memorial Day weekend in Traverse City usually brings a cool start in the 40s or 50s °F and highs near 70 °F (the race lists averages of 45 °F and 69 °F). The open bay can mean a breeze in your face on one leg of the out-and-back, so tuck into a group when it does. Sun on the return can warm the last miles more than the start suggests, so drink early.
When should I start tapering for the Bayshore Marathon?
Start the taper two to three weeks before race day. Cut your weekly volume by about a third, then by half in race week, and keep a few short efforts at race pace so your legs stay sharp. The course is flat, so pacing decides the day: rehearse your goal pace in short segments during race week. With the race on May 29, 2027, your taper starts around May 11, 2027.
Do I need an account to get a Bayshore Marathon training plan?
No. The plan above builds in your browser with no account, no email, and no card. Make a free account only if you want to keep it, log your runs against it, and have the coach keep adapting it as your training goes.